Closing machine



De. 29, 1942. N, p BACH 2,306,375

CLOSING MACHINE Filed Jan.. l0. 1,959 2 Sheets-Shet 1 36 Eg 1L A A 'I4- r 8 v 67 75 6 L ze y K ZI" 7 7/ `5.5 j Z Z 55 5 54 l Z5 83 34 AW77 Z 77778353/ l i F f ZI 2 852%. Z

/ Z 62 E A C l Il IZ INVENTOR MQM ATToRNEY Dec. 29, 1942. N. P.' BACH 2,306,375

CLOSING MACHINE l Filed Jan. 10, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

BYVM ggf MW' ATTORNEYS Patented Dea/29, 1942 y CLOSING MACHINE Neils P. Bach, Geneva, N. Y., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N.

poration ol New Jersey Application January 10, 1939, Serial No. 250,235

4 Claims. (Cl. 113-24) The present invention relates to a container orI can closing machine for crimping metal can ends onto bre can bodies and has particular reference to a crimping head having eccentrically mounted tapered rollers forperforming the crimping operation.

An objectvof the invention is the provision of a closing machine having a rotatable crimping head wherein tapered rollers housed within the head are used for performing the crimping operation thereby obtaining a more uniform and smoother end seam than that usually obtained with other crimping devices.

Another object is the provision in such a crimpl which is adaried to be lowered and raised in ing head ofdevices for laterally adjusting the rollers relative to the can to be closed so that full control may be had over the tightness of the resulting seam.

Numerous other objects and advantages oyf/the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken `in connection with the accompanying drawings,

discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of the principal working parts of a closing machine embodying the instant invention with a can in position ready to be operated on, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the lines 2--2 in Fig. 1, with parts broken back and other parts broken awayiand Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of a portion of the crimping head of the machine, the view showing a can raised into the head and being closed thereby.

As a preferred embodiment of the invention the drawings illustrate theprincipal parts of a can closing machine in which a preferably bre can A is closed with a metallic can end B secured to the can by a crimping over of a ange part C formed on the can end. The can end is preferably of the countersunk panel type so that a backing maybe provided for the end curl when i the latter is turned or bent down against the upper edge of the can to form the nished seam.

The machine includes 'a rotatable crimping head D having acentrally disposed and vertically movable chuck'E which is operated in time and in cooperation with a vertically movable lifter plate F. The chuck clamps a positioned can end onto a can to be closed and the lifter plate raises the can and its end into the-crimping head for the crimping operation.

The lifter plate F on which the can is supported Y., a coris mounted on a vertically disposed rod II carried in a bearing I2 formed in a main frame I3 which supports the various parts of the machine. Vertical movement of the lifter plate is eiiected in any suitable manner in time with the other moving parts of the achine. Centering lugs I4 securedto the lifte`r--4 late and engaging around and over the bottome `d seam of the can retain /the can in a central position on the lifter plate. The chuck E is dispos d vin vertical alignment with a can A when the c n is supported on the lifter plate. This chuck is secured to the lower end of a vertically axial/disposed bar or rod I6 which extends through the crimping head D and time with thelifter plate.

Vertieai movement of `the chuck bar is eiected by a cam I which is keyed to a vertical drive shatisio rnaled'in bearings 2| formed in the main frame I3. Shaft I9 may bethe main driving shaft of the machine. a cam grove23 in which there operates a cam roller 24 carried on anla'rm25 pinned to the lower, end of a vertically disposed rod 26'mountedin a long bushing 21 secured in-bosses` -28 formed on the main frame. The rod 26 extends` above .the bushing and carriesan arm 29 which is securedv to a housing 3l slidably'mounted'on a reduced diameter upper sectionj! ofthe 4chuck bar I6.

The housing 3| constitutes -a part oi a yieldable unit connection between the `chuck bar I6A .and its actuatingv devices just described,v lwhich compensates for variations in can heights and which creates a pressure 'on the chuck E when thelatter is brought into engagement with the can end on a can to be closed. The housing 3i encloses a compression spring-34 which is interposed between a nut 35 threaded into the upper` end of the housing `and a ange 36 of 'a sleeve 31 carried on the chuck bar end section 32.

The sleeve 31 extends up through the nut 35V and its upper end is secured in a collar 38 which rests on a shoulder 39 formed on the chuck bar end 32. An auxiliary compressionv spring 4i normally holds. the collar against its shoulder. A

cap screw 42 threaded into the endof the chuck bar' retains the spring in place on .the collar.

Thus when the lifter plate F rises to lift the Vcan A and its superimposed can end B into the crimping head D, the cam I B-through its connection with the chuck bar IB pulls the chuck E down into the countersunk panel of the can end. This is against the resistance of the spring 34 of the `yieldable unit hereinbefore mentioned. This creates a pressure on the can end which Cam I 8 is formed with tightly clamps the can between the chuck and' the lifter plate. As the lifter plate continues to rise, the cam I I lifts the chuck E in time therewith but maintains the clamping pressure on the can and its end. In this clamped position the can and its en'd are introduced into the crimp- I3. The ball bearing 54 is retained in a housing Il threaded onto the lower end of the lower bearing Il. A shouldered upper section il of the head spindle rests on top of the upper bearing It and thereby retains the'head in place. The chuck bar Il extends through this hollow head spindle.

'Ihe head body 5| carries a plurality of crimping or seaming rollers il. Each roller has a lower tapered section 62 which merges into an upper straight or cylindrical section 63 which is parallel to the axis of rotation of the roller. These rollers are arranged in a circle concentric with the chuck bar I6. Each ycrimping roller Ci is freely and concentrically mounted on the lower end of a roller shaft il carried in `an eccentric bushing orsleeve member disposed in a bearing formed in the head body Si.

'I'he crimping head as a unit is continuously rotated in its bearings 53, 5l by a driving gear l1 (Fig. 1)l which is carried on the upper end of the driving shaft I9. Gear 61 drives lan idler pinion il formed on a gear shaft $9 journaled in bearings 1i in the main frame I3. Pinion tl is also integral with a gear member 12 which meshes wtih a gear 13 which in its turn is' part ofa gear 1l. These integral gears 13, 14 are mounted on the long bushing 21. Gear 1I meshes with a head gear 15 formed on the head spindle 52 and thus drives the head.

When the can A and its superimposed can end B are being raised into the rotating crimping .45

head, the projecting curl C of the can end is engaged by the tapered sections 62 of the crimping rollers as best shown in Fig. 3 and is thereby gradually and progressively bent downwardly and inwardly toward the outer wall of the can as the latter continues to move into the crimping head.

Upward movement of the can continues until the bending can end curl is well onto the straight section i3 of the rollers. This straight section of the rollers is of suillcient depth and extent to flatten the bent or formed curl and partially embed the same against and .into the can side wall, thereby producing a tight end seam which holds the can end securely onto the can. 'I'his completes the can closing or crimping operation.-

The closed can is now lowered to its original position by a cooperative lowering of lifter plate F and chuck E. In this action the chuck E strips the closed can out of the crimping head D, the chuck ilrst moving down in time with the lifter plate but only a sufilcient distance below" the head to insure full release ofthe can from the head. When in its lowermost position, the can may be removed or discharged from the lifter plate in any suitable manner.

To insure proper tightness of the seam produced in the crimping operation, provision is made for manual adjustment of the rollers Il relative to the chuck E. Each eccentric bushing Il has a segment gear 11 secured by screws 1l (Fig. 2) to its upper end. These segment gears meshwithaninternalringgear 1I dlsposedina recess formedinthetopofthecrimpinghead bodyli. Theringgearisheldagainstdisplacement by a cover plate l2 which is secured along itsperipherytotheheadbodybybolts Il.

The bottom surface of the ring gear 1I' is provided with bevel gear teeth M. (Pig. l) which mesh with a small bevel pinion Il `(see also Fig. 2) disposed in a recess Il formed in a side of the head body Il. The pinion is mounted on a screw shaft l1 carriedinabearingintheheadbodyand alsoinagearretainingnuttldisposedinthe recess and threaded into the adjacent wall of the head body. The outer end of the screw shaft is provided with a slot 0I for application of a screw driver thus permitting manual turning of the bevel gear Il. l

By turning of the bevel .gear 8l the ring gear 1 is rotated and this rocks the segment gears 11 and the eccentric bushing connected thereto in unison. The roller shafts carried in the bushing are thus laterally shifted in either direction depending upon the direction in which the bevel gear is rotated, and to the desired amount to It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrincing all of its material advantages,.the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a machine for crimping ends on can bodies, the combination of a rotatable crimping head including a plurality of sleeve members having eccentric bores rotatably carried thereby and spaced equidistant from the axis of said head, means on said sleeve members for rotating the members, a plurality of crimping rollers having concentric shafts respectively mounted in the said bores of said sleevemembers. said rollers being adapted to engage the periphery of a can end superimposed on a can bodyto secure the end to the body in a crimped seam, means for rotating said head, means carried bodily'by said seaming head and engaging the rotating means on said sleeve members, and means secured to the head for moving said sleeve engaging means relative to said head when the machine is at rest for selectively rotating said sleeve members on their axes in opposite directions to radially shift said ec- -centrically mounted roller shafts and said rollers relative to the axis of said head.

2. In a machine for crimping ends on can bodies, the combination of a rotatable crimping head including a plurality of sleeve members having eccentric bores rotatably carried thereby and spaced equidistant from thel axis of said head, a segment gear secured to each of said sleeve members, a plurality of crimping rollers'having concentric shafts respectively mounted in the said bores of said sleeve members, said rollers being adapted to engage the periphery of a can end superimposed ona can body-to secure the Aend to the body in a crimped seam, means. for rotating said head, a ring gear and v.rotatably mount said ring gear on said crimping headto mesh with the segment gears of said' sleeve members, and means on the head operable for partially effect proper adjustment of the crimping rollers rotating said ring gear relative to said crimping head selectively in opposite directions when the machine is at rest, for simultaneously rocking said segment gears and said sleeve members on their longitudinal axes, to radially shift said eccentrically mounted roller shafts and said rollers relative to the axis of said head.

3. In a machine for crimping metal ends on bre can bodies, the combination of a rotatable crimping head including a plurality of sleeve members having eccentric bores rotatably carried thereby and spaced equidistant from the axis of said head, means on said sleeve members to rotate the members, a plurality of crimping rollers having concentric shafts respectively mounted in the said bores of said sleeve members and each including a lower tapered section and an upper cylindrical section having substantially the same diameter as the greatest diameter of the tapered section, said rollers being adapted to engage the periphery of a can end superimposed on a bre can body to secure the end to the body in a crimped seam, operable means on the head to engage and move the sleeve member rotating means, means for rotating said head, and means for moving said assembled can body and end into operative engagement with said rollers, irst with the tapered sections thereof to form the crimped seam between the end and body and thereafter into engagement with the'upper cylindrical sections o! said rollers to embed portions of the crimped seam into th i'lbre wall of the body to complete the seam.

4. In a machinevfor crimpingI metal ends on fibre can bodies, the combination of a rotatable crimping head having a plurality of crimping rollers having concentric shafts mounted thereon spaced equidistant from the axis of said head, each of said rollers including a lower tapered section and an upper cylindrical -section of substantial extent and having substantially the same diameter as the greatest diameter of the tapered section, said rollers being adapted to engage the periphery of a can end superimposed on a bre can body to secure the end to the body in a crimped seam, means for rotating said head, means for maintaining said rollers a constant distance radially of the axis of rotation of said head during the crimping operation, and means fcr moving said assembled can body and end into operative engagement with said rollers, rst with the tapered sections thereof to form the crimped seam between the end and body and thereafter into engagement with the upper cylindrical sections of said rollers, said roller cylindrical sections being of sufcient depth to completely flatten the formed seam and embed portions of the same into the bre wall of the body to complete the seam.

NEILS P. BACH. 

